Welcome to the annual Deck of Dream Team! We are into our fourth year running this series where we look at a player a day for 52 days leading up to the official launch of the AFL Dream Team season on February 1. So buckle up and make sure you check out these articles everyday from our crew of DT Talk writers. We’ll be keen to hear your thoughts on each of these players as our pre-season gets into full swing! Enjoy!

Like many other coaches, I have a lot of man love for Gregory Broughton… affectionately known as Broughts around at the Warne Dawgs.

Broughts oozes DT potential. He burst onto the AFL Dream Team scene four years ago as a mature aged defender averaging 87.6 in his first season from 15 games scoring 6 DT tons including some massive scores of 120, 122, 128 and 129. This had many of us excited about him and we were all thinking that he will be one of the best DT scorers over the next few year. Broughts backed up in 2010 with an average of 89.3 (15 games) and 84.1 (21 games) in 2011. In each of these years he posted multiple 110+ scores continuing to show his massive DT ability. 2012 was a year to forget – see more in the next section – but he wasn’t too bad between rounds 3 and 11 averging 92 Dream Team points.

Ok, so we all get that he has the making of a decent DT player?! Well, he has moved to Gold Coast thanks to a falling out at Fremantle and he is ready for us to forgive and forget and lock into our teams. The Suns should improve in 2013 with their kids maturing and Broughts has shown enough in his 4 years in the system that he can mix it in the midfield, or run off half back and create play. Now I’m not in the inner sanctum at the Suns and have no idea what their real plans are, but I’m tipping he won’t be the role player that he was at the Dockers, especially as he was under Ross Lyon. He moved clubs for an opportunity; I am sure it will await him at the Suns.

As a sweeping defender at Gold Coast, Broughts has the potential to average in the 90s. I have been safe in saying 90, but don’t be surprised if he can push it around 95 or so.

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

Broughton has been placed on a lot of coaches never again list… and rightly so.

Broughts hasn’t played a full season over his career and has broken down at crucial times costing people trades. Some say he is injury prone with some soft tissue injuries across his career. He missed 7 matches in the middle of his second year but returned and smashed it, only to dish up a hideous 64 in the DT Grand Final. In 2011 he only missed the one game, but his last 5 games he scored 57, 71, 51, 62 and 89. Not a bad GF score, but he cost a lot of coaches in their finals with those terrible numbers. The worst thing here is that he was picked up by a lot of coaches at the start of this bad run because he was coming off scores of 139, 149, 114, 96 and 102 the 5 rounds before that making him the most inform defender. Ouch!

Last season he was on the outer with new coach Ross Lyon. He was thrown all around the ground and his scoring suffered massively due to this. The worst was when he was sitting forward. This was highlighted massively in his last 4 rounds with scores of 57, 75, 59 and a subbed 36. Round 16 was the last we saw of him in the Dockers jumper after going in for surgery on his finger.

Basically, he can have some stinker scores if things aren’t going right for him and as a result, he appears a mega inconsistant player. It’s all part of the Broughton rollercoaster.

Deck of DT Rating.

QUEEN – I started with Broughts for the Deck of Dream Team because he will be my first player selected in 2013. A new club gives him a new opportunity and the chance to not just have DT potential, have a season where he can have his best AFL Dream Team season of his career. He is probably controversial for some as he has burnt us many times before and some are still scarred from the memory of the former Fremantle Number 6. I can only see positives in his move to the Suns, so I’m on! Are you?

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @WarnieDT for all things DT (and more). Got something to say about the deck? Use the hashtag… #DeckofDT.

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Author: Warnie
Co-CEO of DT Talk. My best ever fantasy finish was 13th overall in 2009, but I've been shit since! Maybe I need to take other peoples advice and not my own?! Follow me on Twitter: @WarnieDT

Good read Dawg. So many in unanswered questions about “never again” Broughton for me still. If the GC youngsters (entering year 3) can have breakouts, will this make life tough for him? Has Bluey “brought” him across to be a tagger? Stranger things have happened!!

I’m with you mate, he is potentially a lock again, but hopefully the pain he has caused is a thing of the past!!

Great write up Warnie,he will be sitting on everyones initial D4,D5 plans.
Just let him play footy Bluey and become Gazzas best friend.
At his price,his potential and at a new club,he is DT locked.
Never again Greg has become Greg is a Given!

Yep big lock! Gibbs though was my 1st player locked, dpp again yay! and looks assured to finally get some decent midfield time and not be the mr fixit of carltons backline with the blues depth looking far stronger (touchwood) than this time last year. Surely Mick will utilise his talent and composure and give him the chance to really shine. He can pump out some massive numbers too, 50 odd posessions springs to mind… oops sorry this is all about broughts isn’t it! (pick the one eyed blues supporter here)

His NAB cup form was always misleading as they always played him through the mids and he was racking up! However I have had him every year from the start and I enjoy the ride as much as I hate it. His price will make him very juicy. Bring on the coaster!!!

Interesting thoughts. I like Bocky too. Is he more of a cow for us? I feel that Broughts will go close to being a top 6 defender… not sure Bock will do that. He will be a bargain though and could be used as a stepping stone… especially with 30 trades this year. Too many from one team/bye round isn’t TOO much of a worry (as long as you haven’t gone stupid with selection).

Nailed it Warnie (as per usual) Broughton is very tempting for next year the Def/Fwd link. There will be alot of people jumping on the Broughton Coaster again. Lets just hope not to my dips.
And Bock is looking like a good fit lets hope he goes down Fwd again. Its a bummer he didn’t play enough for a Def/Fwd DPP status

Great write-up Warnie and an interesting one to start!
In saying that I am possibly the only one that has never been burnt by him before so for me the decision is easy – Lock!
However like others have commented, it depends on his roll.
Bring it on I say!

Great article first up Warnie……never owned Broughts last year so don’t have any of those never again ‘feelings’ toward him. Once he moved to the Suns I was always gonna pick him, this article just reinforces his selection

Good stuff as always Warnie. I will almost certainly start with Broughts but I feel he could go bust again this season.

I’m calling it now. Broughts will go bang for about the first 5 or 6 rounds, averaging close to if not over a tonne. DT coaches that passed on him at the start of the season will rush to get him in their side. I think the other teams will then start to realise that Broughton is providing drive off the back flank, they will start to pay him a bit more attention and his scoring will dry up drastically. Thus Brougton will be back on the never again list for most, again.

Not a bad pick, but still too much risk for me. Never averaged 90 at Freo, not sure how he will do so in a much worse side. 85 more realistic which might be enough for some but there are better options out there imo.

Worse side, ball may be in defence more often generating possessions for him on top of the possible rebounding roll he may have – and then on top of that the potential for more midfield time (this is said every year buy hey it could happen this time) and there are a few potential reasons for his average to improve. Now if he would just stay out on the ground for the season and not conjure up strange injuries that would assist as well.

To be honest I think people secretly love to hate Broughton, and will pick him in 2013 regardless, it gives people something to love and hate together. I didn’t pick Broughton last year (thank god), but I felt left out, when people on twitter were complaining about his inconsistency.

I decided last year that #FreoBoycott2013 was the way to go. And i’m sticking by that. Once Broughton traded in the purple for the orange he was an instant lock in my side for 2013. I was so happy when he took Roy’s advice and got away from Ross Lyon. One of my first players picked this year for sure.

Thanks Warnie..one day closer. Unless he kicks a suitcase, joins the Visy board, has a coke ‘n ice, etc he is a lock. Great value. In the end any player is a risk, any can get an LTI. Fortunately Lyon is out of this equation.

Great write up to kick off Warne Dawg!!!
I swore black and blue never again you MF Broughton!!! But how can you resist!!!
He is like a block of Cadbury’s chocolate to me.
I’m excited about having him but know I’m so going to regret it after!!!

I remember I selected him in my original squad in dt 2009 (my first year). He only played 2 games out of first 10 or 11 then exploded, as mentioned above, year to forget last year but how can I not select him?